The journey itself, is freedom
by Ainzfern
24
Standing on the rear deck of Chey Neeson's suburban residence, Sir Tahna Lam found himself in an oddly contemplative, even pensive mood. Gazing out across Chey's rather pleasant rear garden, watching a pair of pretty little mottled-brown birds flit about a convenient branch in some intricate dance of nature, Tahna felt his full lips quirk in a tiny smile.
Upon arriving he had discarded his sash-coat to Chey's wardrobe, and the setting sun was warm on his back. The air here was cool with the impending evening and scented sweetly by the flowering plants dotted with casual elegance here and there about the garden.
It was quite pleasant.
Snorting softly at his own typically Elite penchant for understatement Tahna lifted his flawless face, raising beautiful violet eyes to the sky and admiring the changing palette as it delicately drifted towards sunset.
It was more than just pleasant, Tahna silently conceded. It was lovely. The suburban area that Chey resided in was an older one, with charming residences that reflected the archetypical history of a somewhat romanticized by-gone era. For all that Chey's home had been refurbished within with the latest conveniences, its owner had been very careful not to compromise the exterior appearance. He had also been mindful of the quite beautiful and quite ancient evergreens that shaded not only his home but several others along the wide street. They had been left as they were; towering presences of serene splendor that lent a natural focal point to many a sweeping front garden.
Quite different from Apathia, the Elite decided as he leaned against the deck railing, curling his long and elegant fingers around smooth clear-varnished wood. In the Elite residential area of Tanagura it was utter ostentation that counted for so much. Although through sheer dint of insistence by their incredibly aesthetically-minded owner, Tahna's homes had unanimously managed to avoid the additional offense of being tasteless.
But here..? Tahna drew in another deep lungful of evening air. Here, in this quiet and leafy locale, the residences had been designed as homes, not just houses. They had been made to be lived in, not just displayed.
And Tahna could see himself living here all too easily.
Just so long as he could also avail himself of the sophistication and energy of the inner city whenever he wanted it.
Naturally.
He was, after all, an urban creature. One could not fight one's nature.
He had spent a rather diverting afternoon in his intended's company being treated to an initial tour of some of Chey's preferred inner city haunts. Most of them, in quite an appealing coincidence, were situated along a particularly picturesque riverside boardwalk that cut right through Elldaren City. The art galleries, the modern and ancient history museums, fine eateries, technology centers and theaters all nestled along this vast stretch of water.
It was a hedonist's paradise, really... and all very acceptable, Tahna had thought at the time.
Oh... except for the Museum of Modern Art. That particular building had not appealed to Tahna's good opinion at all. To the refined and fussy Elite, the horrible construction had looked very much like a giant had ingested a large amount of concrete and subsequently vomited it back up into the approximate shape of a building. He also made comment to the effect that, seriously, the architect who had designed the appalling aberration really did deserve to be shot at dawn alongside the city official who had arranged to commission the thing.
Chey had agreed, just in passing, which had rather pleased the Blondie. It was comforting to know that even his lover's preternatural ability with diplomacy only extended so far.
Following the flying tour, Chey had taken him for a late lunch at a small but quite excellent bistro nestled away in the streets behind the Parliament buildings. Showcasing amusing décor, continental cuisine and an extensive wine list, Tahna had been left with practically nothing to criticize.
Rather a disappointment, really. He could usually find something.
Of course, everywhere they had gone, heads had turned. If pressed, Tahna would grudgingly admit that Chey Neeson was handsome enough just by himself to pull glances, but when accompanied by an Elite – especially as it was very obvious that the pair were ridiculously fond of each other – well... Tahna couldn't help thinking that they had become a sort of magnet for passing eyeballs.
And this was not even mentioning the sexual chemistry between them. Tahna smirked delicately at the far end of the garden. Yes... he had to confess that the sheer heat of that little connection could very nearly blister the paint off the walls.
Subtle? Perhaps not.
Tahna's tiny smirk blossomed into a dazzling grin.
It didn't need to be subtle when it was such marvelous fun.
"Hey there," Chey's deep voice spoke softly from behind Tahna. Turning, the Blondie smiled as he took in the sight of his lover, wine glasses in hand, now dressed casually in a soft high-necked black sweater that beautifully accentuated his broad shoulders and solid chest, and a pair of obviously well-worn and faded jeans that clung just as lovingly to certain other parts of his body.
Nice... Tahna nodded urbanely, his eyes sparkling as he accepted his glass.
Very nice, indeed.
"So," Chey took a sip of his wine, meeting Tahna's gaze over the rim of his glass, "That's a relatively evil look in those lovely eyes of yours," he noted, a teasing lilt in his voice. "Planning mischief, are we?"
"Oh yes." Tahna took a slow sip from his own glass, letting the sweet fresh liquid flow over his taste buds. He took a step towards Chey, bringing his body close enough to feel the handsome statesman's warmth radiating towards him. "In fact... considering that you and I have endured the distance of two interstellar territories standing between us for far too long this time, I feel it is only fair to warn you that I have a definite itinerary in mind for this evening."
Smiling, his blue eyes filled with amusement and enduring affection, Chey closed the minute distance between them, his strong frame pressing against the Elite's chest. "Oh? Is that a fact?"
"Mmm." With his rich mouth curving into a sultry little smile, Tahna actually shuddered through his entire body at Chey's close proximity. It was a wholly sensual quiver, an almost helpless yet entirely delicious response to his lover's nearness, to his warmth, to his scent and the sound of his voice.
First setting his wine down on the nearby wooden table, Tahna quite deliberately removed the glass from Chey's hand and placed it beside his own. He lifted his flawless face a little, still smiling, and nuzzled against his lover's cheek. Even white teeth nipped gently at a handsome jaw line and his breath brushed just below the Minister's ear. "I am desperately skin-starved, Mr. Neeson," he purred, his smug factor ratcheting up with his physical arousal when he heard Chey swallow hard, felt two warm hands close around his waist, pulling him in tight.
"Ah... well." Bending his head to the Elite's pale neck, Chey subjected the Blondie to an answering volley of expert-level nuzzling before tracing the graceful length with a series of whisper-soft and unhurried kisses. "We can't have that, can we?"
"Suggestions?" Tahna flexed in Chey's embrace, arching his head back to give his lover access to the sensitive base of his throat.
Chey's breath brushed against Tahna's skin as he vented a deep wicked chuckle. He gripped the Elite's hips a little more firmly, rolling his pelvis forward slowly and deliberately. Tahna gasped out a tiny sound from deep in his chest, a little noise of need and want when he felt the sheer heat and the hardness of Chey's erection pressing intimately against his own.
"How's this for a proposition?" Chey murmured against Tahna's neck in a somewhat breathless voice. "We head to the bedroom, say, oh... now, and get naked as fast as possible..."
Tahna's sultry laughter filled the air around them. "Ye-ess, I am in agreement thus far..."
Chey pressed a soft kiss to Tahna's lips, paused, did it again, "... and then, we spend the greater part of the night kissing... and fondling... and fucking each other crazy."
The Blondie had to admit, as a great surge of lust bulleted through his flesh, loosening his thighs and making his cock throb and ache with the urgent need for release, that Chey Neeson did indeed have an incredible gift for words.
"Are you certain this isn't hurting you, Chey?"
Chuckling, his patience and tolerance at their most genial, Chey shook his head. "I'm sure, Blondie. Seriously... does it hurt you when I do it to you?"
"Well... no, but then, you're not an Elite."
"Ah, that old chestnut again," Chey reached down between his open thighs, closing his hand over Tahna's, guiding the Elite's long and elegant fingers for a moment. "Just keep working them in and out, Tahna," he murmured almost clinically, not an ounce of self consciousness evident. "Things are already starting to relax down there."
"Mmm." With a preoccupied look of abstracted concentration, Tahna followed the instructions. "I know you think that I am being overly cautious about this, Chey—"
"Got to admit, I do," Chey grinned at him before gasping softly as Tahna's long fingers grazed over his prostate and a bolt of liquid heat rolled sullenly through his lower belly.
"Did that just hurt?"
"No," Chey arched his back and stretched sinuously. "It felt wonderful. I'm feeling ready to go, Blondie."
Shaking his head, Tahna eased his fingers free of Chey's body, rather fastidiously using a soft kerchief to remove the excess lubricant from his hand. "And you're sure—"
"Tahna," Chey spoke quite calmly, even seriously, as he reached up and eased the Elite into his arms, then over onto his body, parting his legs so that Tahna settled comfortably into the cradle of his thighs. "Look at Iason... then look at Riki. Now, I can assure you, Riki is not suffering through having sex on a pretty regular basis with his Elite Companion, okay?"
Despite his obvious anxiety Tahna managed a disdainful sniff. "Well that's significantly more than I ever wanted to know about Iason Mink's sex life."
Chey's rich chuckle answered him. "The point is that I am — I think you'll agree, substantially more solid than young Riki, and he handles an Elite lover just fine, so..."
"Alright, alright," Tahna's reply was still somewhat reluctant even as he shifted, lining his solid erection up against the opening to Chey's body, "I get what you're saying."
Chey lifted his head and kissed the Blondie gently. "Just go with what feels good, Blondie. Try to enjoy it." His smile grew somewhat sly. "That is the point, you know."
"Oh, very amusing."
"Look," Chey slid his hands down Tahna's back, stroking him slowly as he would a nervous young colt, "I swear to you... the instant I feel any discomfort, I will let you know, okay?"
"I will be holding you to that." With a deep breath Tahna pushed in, sliding smoothly into Chey's flesh until he was buried within that tight and clinging channel of muscle, his pelvis resting snugly against the curve of Chey's muscular backside.
Chey felt the smallest wince cross his face at the inevitable sting of penetration, but he had expected it and he breathed the small pain out quickly enough. After all, it had been a long time. Besides, the look on Tahna's face, the beauty of that almost rapturous wonder as Tahna sank himself into another person's body for the first time... it more than made up for the brief discomfort he had felt.
"Oh Chey," Tahna's whisper, tremulous and breath-soft, reached Chey's ears. "Oh, my dear..."
Smiling, silent for the moment, consciously relaxed and allowing Tahna to absorb the different sensations in his own time, Chey simply reached up and smoothed a heavy lock of hair back out of Tahna's beautiful eyes. The Blondie's expression was almost dazed and, certainly there was a fair amount of arousal and desire there too, Chey noted. But Chey could also see a shade of anxiety, a look of trepidation. "Hey..." he said at length, his tone gentle and calm. "It's all good, love. I'm just fine."
Tahna scrunched his eyes closed for a moment, swallowing audibly as he breathed deeply, clearly fighting for control. "I... I feel so much," he whispered. Those stunning eyes opened again. "Being inside you. Your trust in me. It's so— God, Chey, is this what you feel every time?"
Chey cupped the side of Tahna's flushed face with infinite tenderness. He stroked the smooth hot skin of Tahna's cheek with his thumb, back and forth, gentle and soothing. He smiled; his heart actually hurting with the sheer depths of the love he felt for this remarkable and feisty, challenging, multifaceted and wholly endearing creature currently trembling in his arms. The truth was the Blondie absolutely devastated him. He had never met anyone like Tahna before and he knew he never would again. Sir Tahna Lam of Amoi was a once in a lifetime opportunity, something to be snatched up and held onto as tightly as possible. The fact that through some inexplicable miracle of fate or destiny Chey Neeson of Isius had somehow managed to win this incredible being's heart, that Tahna had actually agreed to become his spouse, still left him reeling in amazed gratitude at times.
"It's all right, love," he said softly, stroking his fingers soothingly across Tahna's brow, "I've got a hold of you. I won't let you go."
He saw Tahna's elegant throat working, saw the shimmer of moisture in those striking eyes, utterly defenseless as they were in this intensely private moment between them.
In a voice that was little more than a breathless murmur Tahna somehow managed to put everything, all his hope and anxiety, his doubts and his uncertainty, all his desire and affection into one tiny little word.
"Promise?"
Once again Chey pushed that heavy wealth of hair back off Tahna's brow, marveling as always at the phenomenal softness of it. "I promise, Tahna," he answered, gentle and sure, "with all of my heart... for all of my life."
He literally felt the tension leaving the Elite's lean strong body, the muscles unclenching and his breathing leveling out. Tahna sighed, his eyes softening and his demeanor gentling. The next words he spoke were unquestionably ones that Chey Neeson would never forget. Words that on some level, he had always hoped he would hear sooner or later... and they were just as sweet as he had imagined they would be.
"I love you, Chey," Tahna told him, his tone low and almost solemn. "I've loved you from the moment I first met you." A tiny smile quirked his rich mouth. "Thank you for waiting for me."
Chey lifted both his hands, sliding them down the smooth sleek length of Tahna's back to close of the firm swell of his backside. "You were worth waiting for," he replied, his heart completely full, his voice oddly tight. He hooked one muscular leg up over the small of Tahna's back, feeling more ready than ever for his Blondie's attentions. "Go on...," he murmured. "Love me, Tahna."
With the softest cry, a tiny keening sound of both relief and desperate desire, Tahna began to move. He gave his all to it, his eyes locked with Chey's, the expression upon his perfect face open and honest and utterly unguarded. Sweat rose as the heat and movement increased, shimmering on smooth hot skin and dampening their hair; and Chey worked with Tahna as he moved, positioning his lower back to make the angle good for both of them, groaning softly with his building pleasure as the head of Tahna's solid cock nudged his prostate and sent a sullen bloom of sensual heat lancing through his loins. He slid one hand down between their heaving bodies, gripping his own erection, his breath hissing between his teeth as he began to stroke himself, taking up Tahna's rhythm with ease. He curled his other hand around the back of Tahna's neck, pulling him down, whispering to him; telling him how good it felt and how sweet it was... how beautiful it was going to be when Tahna came inside of him.
After a few more moments, with a sharp gasp and a deep shudder that wracked his entire body Tahna did exactly that. He shivered, his beautiful face scrunching up in ecstasy, arching back and sighing as he came; emptying himself deep into Chey's flesh in hot erotic pulses. The feeling of Tahna's climax, the telltale twitches of the solid erection buried within his body, complete undid any remaining thread of control Chey might have still had. He felt his own cock begin to pulse in rapid beats, the white heat of orgasm reaching a sweet searing crescendo through his thighs and belly. He groaned deeply, a husky cry rising from deep in his chest, only vaguely aware of Tahna's arms sliding around him and holding him fast as his orgasm wrenched him out of cognitive thought and into the mindless bliss of physical release.
And then there was just the warmth of the aftermath, the closeness and the congenial silence of lovers replete within their bodies and simply basking in each other's nearness under the warm covers of the bed.
Resting his head against Tahna's smooth shoulder, Chey smiled when he felt the Elite's gentle fingertips stroking over him, smoothing over his back and his shoulders. They were light and delightfully tickling touches that he was almost unconsciously duplicating across the perfect pale skin pressed up against him. He sighed, sated and entirely satisfied with the universe and his current place in it.
"Blondie, I've got to tell you," he murmured, settling a little more comfortably into Tahna's embrace, "I am one seriously contented man right now."
A soft silken chuckle reverberated against his ear and he felt Tahna's arms tighten momentarily about his back. "Am I allowed to feel smug over that fact?"
"Oh, hell yes."
"Good," Tahna shifted, turning to face him, those beautiful violet eyes staring levelly into his own and that gorgeous face growing a little more serious. "It was lovely," he murmured.
"It was."
Tahna smiled again, lifting his hand to touch Chey's face. "Will you come back with me to Amoi while I finalize everything and complete the handover of the department?" he made a little face. "I want you with me."
Chey nodded, taking Tahna's hand and squeezing it gently. "Of course I will," he kissed the long fingers lingeringly. "I'll call Ellen in the morning and have her make all the necessary arrangements with my leave."
"Good," Tahna relaxed again, his eyes drifting shut. "Can we rest a while? It's been a very long day."
"Absolutely." Shifting carefully Chey rolled on his back, pulling Tahna over and into his arms and pillowing that pale golden head against his shoulder in their usual sleep position. He pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of Tahna's head and closed his eyes, preparing to doze for a little while before waking up to make love to his beautiful Blondie all over again.
"I love you, Tahna," he whispered upon the softest of sighs.
"I know," Tahna whispered back.
With another deep slow exhalation Chey drifted off, a smile still lingering on his handsome face.
The journey itself... – chapter 23<< >> The journey itself... – chapter 25